In hock

Assurances to the contrary, President Obama soft-pedaled the issue of human rights during the recent state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao. I noted in particular Obama’s comment regarding China’s 30-year economic and political evolution — and that we should wait another 30 years to see what further evolution occurs. This, in response to a government that over the past several years has grown more oppressive and cruel toward its people.

There are likely a number of legitimate, diplomatic reasons not to push Hu to improve his country’s treatment of political and religious dissidents and those who legally represent them. Still, one can’t help but suspect that it’s China’s status as our nation’s mortgagor that gives it the upper hand in these matters.

The sad thing about the human rights issue is that, after absolving the entire preceding administration of any accountability for the very real human rights violations they committed in the form of torture, robotic drone attacks killing civilians, kidnapping, indefinite detention, warrantless wiretapping and on and on and on…

America (and Obama) no longer has the high moral road available to her.
We gave up morality in the name of expedience and can no longer legitimately use human rights as a foreign policy tool.

Does that mean the Terrorists won?

Charles Orloski, Taylor, Pa

Dan-in-Pa:

It is safer & more secure for the media to thunder against Chinese human right abuses rather than expose our own. The great wealth in the hands of a few are permanently detouring “the moral high road,” erasing it from all maps.

Have the terrorists won? That’s a tough one. But I will say they are more useful to nation-wreckers than anti-war types.